Catcher for swab plungers



July 21, 1931. 'N. H. RIC R 1,815,364

CATCHER FOR SWAB PLUNGERS Filed 001;. 14, 1929 NOB IAN H R/C'KEEINVENTOR fiflm ATTORNEY Patented July 21, 1931 s'rerm PATEN @FEFEQEZNGE-liIAN H. BECKER, F HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO HUGHES TOOL GOIMPANY,QF HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS CATCI-IEE FOR SWAB PLUNGERSApplication filed October 14, 1929. Serial No. 399,654.

My invention relates to means to engage and between them, and an inletpipe 12 is connecthold the plunger employed in pneumatically operatedswabs for deep walls.

It is an object of the invention to provide means to engage and hold theswab plunger at the upper end of its stroke whenever desired.

In the operation of swabs in deep wells where the swab is blown to thesurface by the force of gas under pressure, the plunger passes theoutlet opening and then drops back to the bottom for the next stroke. Attimes, however, it is desirable to remove the swab for inspection,replacement or repair, and my in vention has for its purpose to providea means to engage and hold the plunger when it reaches the upper end ofthe eduction tube so that it may be then removed.

I desire to provide a compressible sleeve which is normally out of theway in inactive position, but which may be compressed longitudinallywhen desired so as partially to block the passage of the plunger andhold said plunger from further movement.

The drawings herewith, illustrate a well apparatus in which my inventionis employed. Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through my improvedcatcher. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the upper end of aswabbing apparatus with which my invention is employed. Fig. 3 is asimilar view of the lower end of said apparatus.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is employed in lifting liquids fromwells by a fluid pressure operated swab, and is disclosed in my priorco-pending application, Serial No. 388,189, filed August 2%, 1929. Itincludes an outer casing 1, an inner pipe 2 and a central eduction tube3.

The casing 1 is connected at its upper end to a special casing head 4having an outlet 5 for the liquid being pumped. The upper end of thecasing is connected by a bushing 6 to a plug or cap which is elongatedto house the upper end of the eduction apparatus. The

pipe 2 and the eduction tube 3 are connected at their upper ends to ahead 8 fitting the easing head and supported upon a shoulder 9 therein.The pipe 2 and tube 3 are spaced slightly apart to provide a fluidpassage 10 ed therewith. A pipe 13 connects with the space between thecasing and the pipe.

The lower end of the eduction tube is closed by a head 14 which alsofits within the pipe 2. it passage 15 is left for the well liquid toenter above the head, and a passage 16 allows pressure fluid from thesurface to enter below the liquid. A swab plunger 18 having an upwardlyclosing valve 19 therein is seated upon a seat 20 at the upper side ofthe head 14 above the air inlet 16.

The head 8 at the upper end of the eduction tube 3 is tubular and has apassage 21 which projects upwardly through the bushing 6, and isconnected with a nipple 22 housed in the plug 7. Laterally opening slots23 in the head allow the outlet of liquid to the 7 discharge pipe 5. Ashock absorbing buffer 24: is secured at the upper end of the nipple 22to be engaged by the swab when it is blown up past the outlet withforce, as sometimes accidently occurs.

My swab catcher is shown at the upper end of the head 8 above theoutlets 23. The passage 21 is enlarged at 25 to provide an internalshoulder 26. The upper end is internally threaded at 27 to receive thelower end 28 of the nipple 22 which when screwed therein presents alower shoulder 29 which is spaced from the shoulder 26 to receivebetween them a sleeve 32 of rubber or similar compressible composition.It will be seen that I can screw the nipple downwardly upon the sleeve32 and compress it longitudinally so as to bulge it inwardly between itsends as shown in Fig. 2. Under working conditions, the sleeve 32 is notcompressed,

and is in the position shown in Fig. 1. I employ a washer 30 on theupper end of the sleeve so that the nipple may be screwed down withoutwearing or twisting the rub her. A locking ring or nut 31 is shown toprevent accidental tightening of the joint.

In the operation of the swab, the introduction of air below the swabunder sufficient pressure will lift the swab and its load of liquid tothe surface. The liquid will discharge through the outlets 23 and 5, andthe swab will pass upwardly above these open- -terial loss of time. swabplunger, and when not 1n use will be ings into the nipple 7, thusallowing the air to exhaust through the outlet openings. The valve inthe swab will open, and the swab will drop to the bottom again foranother stroke. When I desire to engage the swab and hold it fromdropping, I remove the cap '8' and screw the nipple 29, downwardly tocompress the sleeve 32 so as to distend it laterally to constrict thepassage as seen in Fig. 2. lVhenthe swab is then raised'to the surfacein the usual manner, it will be blown up past the outlets 23 and willtry to pass into the nipple 22. In so doing, it will be engaged by thesleeve 32, and will be held frictionally against dropping back again.The nipple may then be removed, and the swab plunger will be .accessiblefor removal and inspection.

It will be seen-that my catcher is-a simple one, and will be easilyoperated without ma- It will not damage the out of the way. lVhile Ihave shown one embodiment of the invention, however, I wish it tounderstood that various changes may be made coming within the scopeofthe appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. In ,a device of the character described including an eduction tubefor wells, a plunger therein, means to introduce gaseous pressure fluidbelow said plunger to lift it upwardly, in combination with a yieldabledevice at the upper end of said tube to enand hold said plunger whendesired.

2-. In a device of the character described including an eduction tubefor wells, a plunger therein, means to introduce gaseous pressure fluidbelow said plunger to lift it upwardly, in combination with a plungerengaging device at the upper end of said tube, normally allowing saidplunger topass, but operative when desired automatically to engage andhold aid plunger.

In adevice of the character described including an eduction tube forwells, a swab plunger therein, pneumatic means to force said plungerupwardly therein to raise liquid in said tube, a compressible sleeveadjacent the upper end of said tube, normally permitting saic plunger topass, but adjustable partially to obstructsaid passage and hold saidplunger therein.

4. in a device of the character described includingan-enuction tube forwells, a swab plunger therein, pneumatic means to force said plungerupwardly therein to raise liquid in said tube, a compressible sleeveadjacent the upper end of said tube, normally permitting said plunger topass but compressible longitudinally partially to obstruct the upper endof said tube and frictiona'lly engage and hold said plunger.

.5. Ina pneumatically operated swab apparatus including an eductiontube, having lat- 1,81 aces eral fluid outlets adjacent the upper endand a nipple above said outlets, a swab plunger in said tube, and meansadjacent the lower end of said nipple adapted to be operated toconstrict the passage therethrough and frictionallyengage said swabplunger.

6. In a pneumatically operated swab apparatus, an eduction tube, a swabplunger operating therein in combination with a frictional swab-engagingdevice adjacent the upper end of said tube operable to engage NORMAN H.RIOKE-R.

